Entry No. 29 — the Portland file — filed under: glassblowing
Chadly Glass Studio
Tucked into a suite off SE Main Street, this appointment-only flameworking studio puts you directly at the torch, melting and shaping glass rod under one-on-one or small-group instruction rather than just watching a gaffer work a furnace.
The story
Most people assume glassmaking requires standing ten feet back from a roaring multi-thousand-degree furnace while a master gaffer does all the actual work. Chadly Glass Studio skips the grand theatre of furnace glassblowing entirely. Hidden inside Suite 126 at 833 SE Main Street in Buckman, Brahim Chadly set up this appointment-only space in 2021 after spending over twelve years shaping borosilicate glass. The setup drops you straight onto a stool in front of an individual bench torch.
Instead of gathering liquid glass off a blowpipe from a massive vat, you work directly with borosilicate glass rods—the heat-resistant material used for lab beakerware and custom glass art. Under Brahim's direction, you learn how to balance rotation speed and flame heat to melt, pull, and shape the rod without letting gravity ruin your geometry. It is quiet, tactile, and precise work where a few seconds of wrong flame placement will instantly reveal whether you were paying attention.
What it's like
You are entering a working industrial suite rather than a polished retail storefront, so don't expect a gift shop or walk-in viewing gallery. Sessions run in small groups or private pairs, keeping the instruction tight as you spend roughly three hours hovering over open oxygen-propane torches. Flaming borosilicate glass requires patience, protective glasswear, and steady hands. Because hot glass will crack if cooled too quickly, your finished piece goes directly into an annealing oven at the end of the session, meaning you won't take it home the same day—you'll need to arrange a return visit to pick up your cooled work.
The move: Book a private two-person flameworking lesson — you'll each torch-work your own glass piece over about three hours and pick it up once it's cooled.
- 📍 Buckman / Southeast Portland
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 833 SE Main St, Suite 126, Portland, OR
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Scotch Lodge — After spending three hours staring into a bench flame, cool down half a mile away inside an unmarked, windowless whisky hideout.
- Stark's Vacuum Museum — Trade open flames for vintage mechanical suction seven blocks away at a functional vacuum repair shop featuring historic carpet care devices.
- Past Lives Makerspace — "Forge a Date!" — If you want to double down on high-temperature industrial crafts, follow up glass torching with a metal blacksmithing class down in the Central Eastside.
Good to know
How does flameworking differ from traditional glassblowing?
Traditional glassblowing involves gathering molten glass out of a central furnace using long pipes. Flameworking (lampworking) uses a high-temperature bench torch to melt and shape solid borosilicate glass rods at a personal workstation.
Can I walk in and buy glass or take a class?
No. The studio operates strictly by appointment for scheduled small-group or private flameworking lessons.
Do I take my completed piece home when class ends?
No. Your glass must undergo a slow cooling process inside an annealing kiln to neutralize thermal tension, so you'll have to return to the studio later to pick it up.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · touristtube.com
last checked: 2026-07-20